The public administration sector takes the cake with the highest employment outlook this quarter

Those looking for a job in Vancouver or Victoria have reason to be pragmatic. ManpowerGroup, a multinational staffing firm based in Milwaukee, released the results to its Employment Outlook Survey, which gathered responses from 1,922 employers across Canada for the second quarter of 2019.

Results show the hiring markets in the province’s capital and in the Vancouver area are expected to increase by 20 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

And Vancouver companies aren't looking to lighten their loads. The survey reports that only 3 percent of employers anticipate cutbacks in staffing levels, while a majority (84 percent) will maintain their current levels.

In Victoria, things are looking a little brighter. Along with sizable positive hiring intentions, an additional 77 percent of employers plan to maintain their current levels, with only 3 percent unsure of what they will do.

Credit: ManpowerGroup Report

Overall, however, things are not as rosy as they seem. Vancouver’s net employment outlook, a score that adds up hiring intentions and subtracts staff reduction, of 8 percent is a one-point bump from last quarter’s and a 17-point decrease from the outlook as reported during the same time last year.

In Victoria, the net employment outlook of 13 percent is a 10-point decrease from last quarter’s. However, it’s the same percentage as last year’s outlook which, according to Manpower, indicates a hopeful hiring pace for the capital.

As a whole, the country is seeing a modest 16-percent increase in staffing levels for the second quarter of 2019. With the private sector creating over 66,000 new jobs, the trend can be expected to continue over the next three months, says Manpower.

Some industries are seeing a marked improvement over previous quarters. Transportation and public utilities, for example, reported a 24-percent outlook, the highest numbers for any sector this quarter. In addition, the public administration, manufacturing, and finance, insurance and real estate sectors are also seeing healthy hiring prospects with net outlooks scoring between 14 and 16 percent.

Overall, with 80 percent of employers expecting staffing levels to remain unchanged, while only 3 percent anticipate cutbacks, this quarter’s Employment Outlook Survey paints a promising picture for the job market in B.C. and in Canada over the next three months.